HAVAS NEW YORK APPOINTS ANDRE GRAY AS CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER OF ANNEX88

The award-winning creative leader will play an instrumental role in the continued revitalization of the agency

NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Havas New York announced today the addition of Andre Gray as its new Chief Creative Officer of Annex88 to elevate the agency creatively and authentically create impactful work that shifts culture. Gray comes with extensive experience in the advertising realm with a track record in leading global campaigns focused on creativity and culture. Gray will report to Havas New York Chief Creative Officer Dan Lucey in his new position.

Born in New York City, raised in San Francisco, Gray spent the bulk of his career in Europe, working in Paris and Amsterdam, most notably at TBWA\NEBOKO as the global creative director for adidas and Gatorade. In his latest role, Gray was the executive creative director at the Grey Group, where he contributed to countless business successes, including award-winning creative and account wins for brands like Las Vegas Tourism and Intercontinental Hotel Group. Gray was also instrumental in driving equity and diversity efforts across the organization.

"Andre is a great addition to lead the creative vision of Annex88," said Dan Lucey, Chief Creative Officer of Havas New York. "Andre's experience in big and small agencies will benefit the wide range of clients the agency supports. His understanding of technology, deep cultural insight, and entrepreneurial spirit set him apart, and we are very excited to have him join the talented team at Annex88."

Author of "Digital Anthropomorphism: Humanizing the Brand," Gray is passionate about creating things that stick in culture and is a staunch advocate for underrepresented voices. This year, he was a juror for the Cannes Lions and has previously been recognized on Adweek's Creative 100 list.

"We are currently in one of most dynamically shifting landscapes for the advertising industry," said Gray. "If we are going to be successful in this new atmosphere, we need to be brave enough to test new processes and structures on the path to new ideas. Annex88 is a space that is built to try new things, break things creatively, and put community and culture first in the process, and that's what I'm most excited about."

As Chief Creative Officer, Gray will partner closely with Elena Grasmann, an industry veteran integrated team leader, creative-first culture driver, and newly appointed Executive Managing Director of Annex88, to bring new energy and strong leadership to the agency. Grasmann was previously a Managing Director at Havas New York, overseeing a diverse portfolio of storied brands and leading teams to deliver meaningful brand platforms. She joined the Havas network from Grey in 2017, where she steered globally awarded brand campaigns for iconic, cultural brands, including AT&T-DIRECTV, T.J. Maxx, and P&G brands such as Febreze and Pringles. Gray, Grasmann, and a soon-to-be announced senior strategic partner will work together to build on Annex88's strong foundation and recognition as Shorty's "Small Agency of the Year" and lead the agency in creating memorable work that moves culture.

In 2017, Havas Group acquired The 88, a New York-based digital and social boutique agency, to create what is now known as Annex88. As a subsidiary of Havas New York, Annex88 leverages the scale and power of the Havas Creative network yet continues to be an agile independent shop. The agency has built its reputation on being a catalyst for cultural relevance and has proudly worked with lifestyle brands like adidas originals, Hyatt, Courvoisier, and L'Oreal, among others. 

At Annex88, we look at everything we do through the lens of culture - who are your people, what conversations are they in, and how can your brand bring something to the potluck. We help brands BE MEMORABLE. In a world where people are subjected to up to 10,000 messages per day, being memorable is the only way to cut through. To think differently. To get there, we have to be willing to roll our sleeves up and make at the pace of culture. Not just nimble. But nimble nimble. Across conversations, channels, cultures. Annex88 is built to chase what's next, bringing together thinkers, tinkerers, directors, artists, photographers, designers, storytellers, influencers and producers, all under one roof and backed by full in-house production. We love the unknown, the firsts-of-its-kinds, the 'that sounds kinda crazy but I love it", we fuse an independent spirit with the scale of a global network to bring clients into conversation in culture to accelerate growth, drive bottom lines and cut through bureaucracy. We believe creativity should be a force for good. And can solve the most elusive business problems. For more information on Annex88, visit us at Annex88.com

SOURCE Havas New York